Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). Social commentary may drive sub-text but money drives the movie. From 19th century sea serpents to our current. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. A must read for fans of horror and monsters! the bell witch, the roanaoke colony, etc.) Contact us Synopsis: From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. For Professors: Exam Copies. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. It is lively and engaging and well researched. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. The Monster feels completely alienated: "none among the myriads of men" will take pity on him. I feel like three stars is generous for a book that did not bring me any new insights, but it was neither especially good nor especially bad. Briggs makes the first closing argument in the case. Poole brings to life American horror stories by framing them within folk belief, religion, and popular culture, broadly unraveling the idea of the monster. Omer-Sherman, Ranen. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. We can anticipate either alien salvation or judgment from beyond. She coaches Steve on how to answer questions on the witness stand. If you will, a shining city on hill built on the bodies of natives, blacks, women, and anyone else we dont like very much. March 4, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Starting with the Puritan era and the fear of witches and ending with the modern-day fascination with the monsters within us, i.e. The history of America -- one fear, one monster, at a time. $24.99 He argues that our myth of conquering the monster has made us particularly inclined to turn other groups of human beings into monsters and to justify their oppression or domination. Copyright 2023 That's What She Read. By the end of the book, Poole cautions that Americas monsters arent going away anytime soon. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. The medical examiner states the time of Mr. Nesbitts death. Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting, Review, Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Epigraph, Preface: With a Warning to the Unsuspecting Reader, Introduction: The Bloody Chords of Memory. The opening chapter introduces several motifs that will be present throughout the story. Finally, in the new section "American Carnage," Poole challenges readers to assess what their own monster tales might be and how our sordid past horrors express themselves in our present cultural anxieties. Poole walks readers through the American history of monsters, matching horror trends to American epochs, where it turns out our sociopolitical climate influences the monsters we laud and follow in fiction, film, and the media. It is a frightening world we live in, yet the horrific things in our literature and culture play a vital part in helping us reach some understanding, and even some peace about them. Monsters in America instead should acknowledge monsters exist in every culture, every tribe, every era. 2023 Baylor University Press. Component 3: Vocabulary. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sex and violence are the recurring themes of the book, but Poole always provides context for why they recur so often. Best Johnny Cash Books Biographies and More! Petrocelli, OBrien, and Briggs make opening statements on the first day of Steves trial. No historically reflective Christian would disagree with Pooles castigation of wrongdoings by some Americans. Steve worries about why OBrien turned away from him after winning the case. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The State rests its case. Salem witches, frontier wilderness beasts, freak show oddities, alien invasions, Freddie Krueger. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. View all Often fascinating attempt to look at monsters through the lens of American history, Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011. Monster and Poole.pdf - WRTG1010 . Monsters and American I seem to be having bad luck with books lately, but the writing style just didnt connect with me. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. The book won the John Cawelti prize from the Popular Culture Association for the best book published in pop culture history for 2011. He is at home with his parents and his brother Jerry. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. He tells his story through handwritten notes and a typewritten screenplay. Summary (final draft).docx - Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in When social conservatives oppose something, like - say -. Michelangelo Biographies Best Books on the Renaissance Artist! Contact us Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. A.Slavery B.States' rights C.Internal improvements D.Westward expansion. She identifies James King as being one of the two young men. This was a great concept, but I struggled to even make it through the introduction. Free trial is available to new customers only. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. Insightful and brilliant! I heard the author on Coast to Coast, and even though he had that dry, flat Midwestern accent (sort of like Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz") I knew I had to get the book. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. (one code per order). Want 100 or more? Evenhandedness exists in the books last sentence suggesting that liberal visions of social justice could create something worse (228). After Steve hears the verdict, he turns to OBrien for a hug. Harmon explains that in his cell. Go to BN.com to get your copy of these helpful resources. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Marshall1 Jenna Marshall Prof. Goff Writing 1010 12 September 2021 Summary Final In Scott Poole's essay Monsters in America Poole's main claim is that stories of monsters are associated with the troubled history of American history of racism, politics, class prejudice, gender disparity, and how society's fears can be equally showing of our divides. Call me crazy, but I don't think a historian's role ought to be the reaffirmation of modern feelings of superiority over everyone else who has ever lived. "Angels, Monsters, and Jews: Intersections of Queer and Jewish Identity in Kushner's "Angels in America."" PMLA 113, no. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Antiracism Books for Christians A Reading Guide, Thomas Merton Books An Intro Reading Guide. Best Leonard Cohen Books Biographies and Books by the Songwriter. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. In the follow-up to his first book, Satan in America, Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com, "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities. Monsters refuse to be cordoned off in only one nationality, ethnicity, religion, or political mindset. However, this book was FABULOUS! Acknowledgements: Thank you to Kelly Hughes from Dechant-Hughes for my review copy! Dont have an account? Poole offers an insight on America's fascination with monsters. I had to read this for a class (one I wasn't too stoked about, if I'm being honest) and went into it with a pretty closed mind. Monsters in America is lively and entertaining throughout. Here's where you'll find important quotesfrom Monsterand explanations of them. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. Thoughts: What makes a monster a monster? In his new preface and expanded conclusion, Pooles tale connects to the presentillustrating the relationship between current social movements and their historical antecedents. Unfortunately, however, the writing just reads as super amateurish and unnatural--to the point where your brain feels exhausted after slogging through only a couple pages. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. damn good primer on monsters in America. Filmmakers create celluloid illusions with that in mind. Dorothy Sayers Where to Start with her Mystery Novels? The atheist taught that inflicting suffering while enjoying the process is human nature. Some of his writings can be accessed at www.warpandwoof.org. Fifteen Important Theology Books of 2022!!! Both belief about the supernatural and the supernatural itself creates creatures which slither into our thinking-being-behaving. The book's unusual range is one of its contributions; its freshness of juxtaposition is another. From Victorian-era mad scientists to modern-day serial killers , new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2014. In the follow-up to his first book, Satan in America, Poole has now turned his attention to the monsters that inhabit American cinema and American imaginations. This item: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole Paperback $34.99 The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock Paperback $45.11 On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears by Stephen T. Asma Paperback $28.95 What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Monster: Study Guide | SparkNotes Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. OBrien tells Steve that her job is to make him a human being in the eyes of the jury. C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. 20% In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. "New light" evangelists of the eighteenth century, enslaved African Americans, demagogic politicians, and modern American film-makers have used the devil to damn their enemies, explain the nature of evil and injustice, mount social crusades, construct a national identity, and express anxiety about matters as . Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). Purchasing For my own part, I have been studying and writing about Gothic horror for some years. For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. The Theology of the Early Christians 10 Free Classics! He also makes notes about his movie and about details he observes in court. If you've got an interest in horror, this is definitely worth a read. In 2016, he wrote the Bram Stoker Finalist _In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. This isnt a book for the squeamish as Poole details how a horror film like Candyman is based in fact to a great deal. If you're looking for an introductory book to the subject, it's a great resource. Poole wants to tell a story and take his readers on a journey, and he definitely does so. Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. In some ways, this felt more like a book about racism and sexism on celluloid and in politics than a book about "Monsters." After readingMonsters in America, a reader will view monsters in a completely different light. Which one would you like to know more about and why? You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. Dont have an account? Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. An excellent study for any student of history or media but also fun and accessible for any fan of monsters and the movies. Purchasing Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. The Best C.S. Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. When meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. on 50-99 accounts. Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. Subscribe now. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous"other"not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts.Monsters in America is now online at www.monstersinamerica.com. This book is quite well researched, makes a few interesting connections, and is very accessible. Monsters in America is W. Scott Pooles interpretive history. They are manifestations of our society. You'll also receive an email with the link. (1 page) Students will compose a summary of the chapter, highlighting the key elements of Poole's text. Monsters in America Project. All content on this blog is protected under US copyright by Michelle Shannon. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Spring 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! Its cohesive, cursory, and has a smattering of typos. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. I would love something like this for the UK. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. OBrien reminds jurors of reasonable doubt and states firmly that Steves guilt has not been proven. Specifically, he discusses how the stories like "Pocahontas" and "The. Poole stays far away from polemic and sticks to the facts. Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2012. Monsters are here to stay. Hades Roman name: Pluto. This exciting work blends the study of horror films, comic books, religious texts and newspaper accounts of "satanic panics" into a highly readable analysis of the concept of the devil in American cultural history. Discount, Discount Code Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Poole never assumes a 1-1 metaphor, but he does show how common themes (the reemergence of the vampire at different points in American history, for example) are useful shorthand for working through these anxieties. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. The author explores American History and how people's fears and reactions to changes in society both affected and were affected by monsters in print and film. It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. Alien invasions prompt the authors apt comment, The otherness of the monster can embody the sum of all fears but also an escape from fear (131). The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Author: W. Scott Poole Synopsis (Courtesy of Powell's Books ): "Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. (And as someone who lives with a history PhD and who briefly pursued graduate studies in history myself, I like to believe that I know from whence I speak.) A monster, in most cases, is something that challenges human morality or customs, or rather, a single group of people's moralities. . "Monsters in America" is a work that touches on the many facets of Horror in America. Steve testifies that he did not take part in the drugstore robbery or discuss it with anyone before it happened. In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. Paperback; 9781481308823; Published: July 2018; $34.99. He reminds the jury of the witnesses criminal records and contends that their unreliability casts reasonable doubt on Kings guilt. His footnotes have left me with a massive pile Poole walks readers through the American history of monsters, matching horror trends to American epochs, where it turns out our sociopolitical climate influences the monsters we laud and follow in fiction, film, and the media. Detectives Karyl and Williams describe their arrival at the crime scene. A well informed, thoughtful, and indeed frightening angle of vision to a persistent and compelling American desire to be entertained by the grotesque and the horrific. $24.99 In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. At times in the book a movie director is taken at his word, the reason for his film given authorial intent. Monsters in America has without a doubt earned a spot on my favorite books of 2011. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous "other" not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Sometimes it can end up there. Steve tells his story through handwritten notes as in a journal and a typewritten screenplay. Monsters in America Project chapter ( 2,3,4,5,6,7) I appreciated that in this second edition he shows how our language of the monstrous has played a role in instances like the police shootings of unarmed black people and how visions of dread play into Donald Trump's rhetoric. Highly recommended. Pooles bibliography is an additional treat as it includes many excellent books for further reading or study - "1973 Nervous Breakdown: Watergate, Warhol, and the Birth of Post-Sixties America" and "Sacred Terror: Religion and Horror on the Silver Screen" were two titles that jumped out at me thats so full that one could even write their own treatment on the subject. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless. Steve is about to stand trial for felony homicide. Study Guides, Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre and anthropology. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. The second edition of Monsters leads readers deeper into Americas tangled past to show how monsters continue to haunt contemporary American ideology. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. I was pretty fascinated through this whole book. as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Name: Kim Hoan Tran Dr. Che 07/08/2019 Summary Paper Summary of Monstrous Beginning In Monster in America written by W. Scott Poole, especially the chapter called "Monstrous Beginnings". I had to read this for a class (one I wasn't too stoked about, if I'm being honest) and went into it with a pretty closed mind. It was just way too "all over the place" for me. | He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror. Monster Chapter Summaries - eNotes.com for a customized plan. Before you get all "He's Anti-American!" Vampira) to explore the history of American sexuality, gender relations and the rebirth of the horror film in post-WW2 America. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. That being said, however, if you are a teacher who needs to get a class full of barely literate college freshmen to understand what it means to read / think about things in historical context, Poole's introduction, "The Bloody chords of Memory," is readable and accessible even for a group of resistant and vaguely engaged (at best) 18 year olds. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. No longer just something that goes bump in the night, Mr. Poole showcases that monsters have more meaning and shed more insight into society than one might have previously suspected. session with vampires and zombies, Poole plots America's past through its fears in this intriguing sociocultural history. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf now that the class is over. Monster presents through the obvious things, for example, krakens or werewolves. Another witness testifies that King is left-handed. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. The pages are littered with characterizations which demonize only a conservative set of ideas. Michelle Shannon is licensed under a With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. Steve Harmon, a Black sixteen-year-old, sits in his jail cell and writes in his notebook. Willa Cather Short Stories Five Superb Stories to Read for FREE! Mythology: Character List | SparkNotes The image freezes as the screenplay ends. (Christopher James Blythe, Florida State University, (John W. Morehead, editor, www.TheoFantastique.com). Everything from Communists, feminists, and foreigners to Candyman, Dracula, and The Exorcist are examined for the social attitudes to evil that they illuminate (and that we may believe, consciously or subconsciously). does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. Please wait while we process your payment. Steve also states that he was not at the drugstore on the day of the crime but was walking around thinking about his movie. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past. Probably more 3.5 stars. Picked up on a whim, I certainly got the expected analysis of horror movies as a way for Americans to understand and react to their culture, but the author also makes the (very strong and well supported) argument that far from being a way to understand the world around us, monsters are also used by those in power to crush those without under their heel while also ignoring and excusing the fact that they're doing so. Wright Books An Introductory Reading Guide to The Theologians Work, Joy Harjo Poems Five of the Best Poems by the US Poet Laureate, John ODonohue Poems Four of our Favorites. Discount, Discount Code 1945-1960 2.) I was thrilled to find a book that went with that mindset. Please provide specific examples to support your answers.